Order of Chain When Recording

[MycooLeeyun]

Hi all!

I'm expanding my home studio and adding a BAE 1073MP to the chain.

I currently have a ZOD DI and an Apollo X4

My question is the order when I'm recording bass:

ZOD DI -> BAE 1073 -> Apollo

or

BAE 1073 -> ZOD DI -> Apollo

And if I added a compressor to the chain, where would that go?

Thanks so much!

 

[Bob_Ross]

ZOD DI -> BAE 1073 -> Apollo

Your DI is an impedance- and level-matching interface that allows your bass's instrument level high Z output to connect to the microphone level low Z input on the 1073.
The 1073 is a mic preamplifier/equalizer that converts a mic level signal to a line level signal.
The Apollo converts an analog line level signal to digital and sends it to your computer via USB (or Firewire or whatever that unit outputs, I forget which).

Note, if the BAE1073 also has a 1/4" instrument input you could forego the DI and just go BAE 1073 -> Apollo ...but some folks like the coloration provided by the mic input transformer on their preamps, so will use a DI anyway.

If you added a compressor to the chain that would go in between the 1073 and the Apollo, because compressors operate at line level
...unless you're talking about a compressor pedal; in that case it would go in between your instrument and the DI.

 

[DirkP]

What Bob says.
On some preamps, for example the GAP 1073 clones, the HZ (instrument input) goes through the transformer too or can be set to do it via a jumper. I would only add an extra DI if it colours the signal in a way I prefer. DIs originally aren’t supposed to color a signal, they only change the signal to mic level. Your preamp is a DI, too. Make sure you use the line input of the interface!

 

[MycooLeeyun]

What Bob says.
On some preamps, for example the GAP 1073 clones, the HZ (instrument input) goes through the transformer too or can be set to do it via a jumper. I would only add an extra DI if it colours the signal in a way I prefer. DIs originally aren’t supposed to color a signal, they only change the signal to mic level. Your preamp is a DI, too. Make sure you use the line input of the interface!

Thanks! When you say make sure to use the Line Input on the interface, my inputs say "Mic/Line" on each of the 4 XLR/1/4" combo inputs.

Do you mean just make sure it's set to Line in the console in the image attached?

I don't know why I would assume the input would be mic if it's coming from an XLR from a mic preamp.

Thanks for helping me to understand...

Also, what if I wanted to run my DI out of my amp. Would I go from my amp, XLR out to the mic preamp, then the apollo?

 

[DirkP]

Thanks! When you say make sure to use the Line Input on the interface, my inputs say "Mic/Line" on each of the 4 XLR/1/4" combo inputs.

Do you mean just make sure it's set to Line in the console in the image attached?

I don't know why I would assume the input would be mic if it's coming from an XLR from a mic preamp.

Thanks for helping me to understand...

Also, what if I wanted to run my DI out of my amp. Would I go from my amp, XLR out to the mic preamp, then the apollo?

Yes.
I don’t know the Apollo, but many interfaces have combo jacks and if you’re using the TRS input it is expecting line-level, if you’re using the XLR input it is expecting mic-level.
If your interface can be switched from mic to line no matter the connector, then it doesn’t matter.
Make sure to use a symmetric connection, if you use a XLR to TSR adapter or cable.

 

[MycooLeeyun]

Yes.
I don’t know the Apollo, but many interfaces have combo jacks and if you’re using the TRS input it is expecting line-level, if you’re using the XLR input it is expecting mic-level.
If your interface can be switched from mic to line no matter the connector, then it doesn’t matter.
Make sure to use a symmetric connection, if you use a XLR to TSR adapter or cable.

Does the ZOD DI send a mic level or line level output into the Apollo? Mic level, right?

 

[DirkP]

Right! The purpose of a DI is to transform instrument level to mic-level. Mic-cables can be up to 2000 feet and longer, before a loss in high frequencies occurs and are far less sensitive to hum etc.
This is the reason DIs are used to transmit bass and guitar signals from the stage to the distant mixing desk. No one in the past bought DI’s because they have a “sound”, they were supposed to not touch the original signal at all, just to transform it.

 

[MycooLeeyun]

Right! The purpose of a DI is to transform instrument level to mic-level. Mic-cables can be up to 2000 feet and longer, before a loss in high frequencies occurs and are far less sensitive to hum etc.
This is the reason DIs are used to transmit bass and guitar signals from the stage to the distant mixing desk. No one in the past bought DI’s because they have a “sound”, they were supposed to not touch the original signal at all, just to transform it.

Sorry, another question....

On the back of my genzler amp head, it has a line or mic level DI out. How would I decide which is the best option?

 

[DirkP]

Sorry, another question....

On the back of my genzler amp head, it has a line or mic level DI out. How would I decide which is the best option?

Try both, you only have to make sure that you are using the appropriate input on the preamp. Line -> Line or Mic-> Mic.

 

[MycooLeeyun]

Try both, you only have to make sure that you are using the appropriate input on the preamp. Line -> Line or Mic-> Mic.

If I wanted to use my DI signal out of the amp head and send it into the ZOD DI, would it be better to use a MIC level output into the ZOD so that I can push the ZOD harder and get more of the coloration?

A line out would be hotter, correct?

 

[DirkP]

I don’t know the ZOD, but there is no DI box that has a mic input. You should maybe read about, what a DI box is. Why should a device with the only purpose to transform a signal into mic-level have a mic level input? Why would someone connect a DI out to a DI in?

 

[MycooLeeyun]

I don’t know the ZOD, but there is no DI box that has a mic input. You should maybe read about, what a DI box is. Why should a device with the only purpose to transform a signal into mic-level have a mic level input? Why would someone connect a DI out to a DI in?

Because the Zod is a Tube DI with XLR/1/4" in. It adds color